Best Potential Trade Scenarios, Packages and Landing Spots for Rudy Gay

DeMarcus Cousins needn't feel lonely on the Sacramento Kings' chopping block. Rudy Gay is there, among the trade-rumor craze, to keep him company.

Although speculation surrounding Cousins' future in Sacramento is reaching fever pitch, he is not alone. Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Gay can be had in trade talks as well.

Back in December of 2013, when Gay's value was at an all-time low, we might have cackled at the mere notion of moving him for anything and anyone of note in return. But the Kings have actually done a nice job of elevating his value since acquiring him nearly 18 months ago.

Gay wrapped up last season as Sacramento's second-leading scorer while shooting 45.5 percent from the floor and notching a career-high player efficiency rating (19.7). It also helps that he's officially a contractual steal.

The Kings signed him to a three-year, $40 million extension last November that will kick in next season with a starting salary of $12.4 million. And with the NBA's salary cap set to erupt in 2016, that's nothing.

Suggested trades will rely heavily on rumors and team needs. The goals of each scenario will vary, but the provided justification will rest on franchise direction and player values. Each move has to make some semblance of sense for all parties involved.

Nothing is specifically off limits for the Kings. As one rival executive told CBS Sports' Ken Berger, "They have everyone on the table. Everyone." We can only assume, then, that they're open to anything.

Every trade will also be based off next season's salary picture, which doesn't take effect until July 1. Deals can be agreed upon in principle before then, but in order to properly account for every team's ability to absorb salary, they cannot become official until—you guessed it—July 1.

That, in turn, means any included 2015 draft selection will represent the actual players. If the Kings are moving their No. 6 pick as part of a hypothetical deal, they'll be drafting for their trade partner and shipping out that player on or after July 1.

Enough chitchat, though. Let's find Gay a new home.

Chicago Bulls

Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press

Sacramento Kings Get: F Doug McDermott, PG Greivis Vasquez and No. 20 pick (via Toronto)

Chicago Bulls Get: F Rudy Gay

Toronto Raptors Get: PF Taj Gibson

Why not start things off with a three-teamer?

McDermott is a lottery prospect who can essentially function as a lower-end Gay, draining spot-up threes at the power forward spot in head coach George Karl's offense. Though he's a defensive liability at both the 3 and 4 slots, he's a potential building block on the offensive end irrespective of whether the Kings retain Cousins.

Vasquez is more than capable of splitting the playmaking duties with Darren Collison. And his contract comes off the books after next season, so the Kings' money won't be tied up in him long term.

That first-rounder from Toronto is simply an extra asset. Selling off battle-tested veterans such as Gay demands the Kings be open to hitting reset once more. Stockpiling first-rounders is a good way to get started and keep pushing forward.

The Bulls, meanwhile, remain thin at small forward. They don't really know what they have in Tony Snell just yet, and neither Nikola Mirotic nor McDermott is quick enough to defend opposing 3's for long stretches.

Gay projects as a combo forward in new head coach Fred Hoiberg's offense. You can sandwich him between Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol or Mirotic in the starting lineup at the 3, and you can place him at the 4 whenever Mirotic and one of Gasol and Joakim Noah is riding pine.

Acquiring Gay comes at the expense of Gibson, collateral damage the Bulls will just have to accept. Hoiberg's system calls for rangy forwards, and Gibson's offensive touch peaks from mid-range.

Sheridan Hoops' Joe Kotoch said the Bulls are actually looking to deal one or both of Gibson and Noah to make those accommodations. Landing Gay opens up the offense considerably and does so on a bargain-like dime when accounting for the impending cap explosion.

Gibson is more valuable in Toronto anyway. The Raptors need rim protection that Amir Johnson (free agent) and Jonas Valanciunas just can't provide. They allowed opponents to shoot 60.5 percent inside of six feet last season; Gibson held rival scorers to 45.8 percent shooting from that same area.

Working off ankle surgery that will keep him sidelined for four months, per the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson, Gibson is a risky acquisition. But he's a calculated risk.

Toronto isn't going to find someone who offers the same defensive potency late in the first round, and as a backup floor general, Vasquez is replaceable. That Gibson is owed less than $18 million over the next two seasons is also huge.

It renders him a steal now and a super-duper steal in 2016-17, when a free agent of his caliber could command nearly twice as much on the open market.

Denver Nuggets

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Sacramento Kings Get: SF Wilson Chandler and PG Ty Lawson

Denver Nuggets Get: PG Darren Collison, SF Rudy Gay, PF Jason Thompson and No. 6 pick 

Sources told Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix that Karl and the Kings are "eyeing" a trade for Lawson. This, good people, is not a surprise.

Bleacher Report's Howard Beck heard the same thing...back in February. Karl spent four years coaching Lawson in Denver, and it was under his guidance that the diminutive point guard reached fringe-star status.

Fortunately for Karl's Kings, Lawson is available. Very available. Chad Ford of ESPN.com previously had the Nuggets dangling him to any team that would listen.

Forking over a top-six pick is a high price to pay for a player who may not even rank in the top 10 at his position. Especially when that player is this accessible.

But Lawson is a dramatic upgrade over Collison, and his ability to reach the rim at will bodes well for the Kings' wannabe high-octane offense. It even benefits Cousins—again, should he stick around—by giving him the pick-and-pop partner he's yet to enjoy.

Chandler is the pot sweetener meant to pry that No. 6 pick out of Sacramento's hand. He does the same things Gay does on both ends of the floor, and his familiarity with Karl ensures he won't play like a lost child on the offensive end.

If the Nuggets can get a high-end draft pick for Lawson, there's nothing to debate. They should pull the trigger and never look back.

Committing the next three years to a veteran such as Gay isn't standard rebuilding procedure, but he's valuable in his own right. Denver's new head honcho, Mike Malone, coached him in Sacramento, and Gay can function as both a spot-up shooter and featured on-ball option in the half court.

Consider too that Chandler will be a free agent next summer. Crazy though it sounds, there's a chance he commands more than the modest $40 million Gay is owed through 2017-18.

Collison will barely even begin to replace Lawson, but the Nuggets can target another point guard in the draft, either by selecting one at No. 7 or having the Kings pick one for them at No. 6.

Thompson is merely contractual fodder. He's owed $6.4 million next season and a non-guaranteed $6.8 million for 2016-17. His only purpose is to help make the salaries match while giving the Kings an incentive to accept this deal at all.

Detroit Pistons

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Sacramento Kings Get: SF Wilson Chandler, PG Ty Lawson and PF Anthony Tolliver

Denver Nuggets Get: PG Brandon Jennings, SG Nik Stauskas and No. 8 pick (via Detroit)

Detroit Pistons Get: PG Darren Collison and F Rudy Gay

Call this one "Operation: The Kings Are Trying to Keep Their No. 6 Pick."

Rather than preserving maximum financial flexibility leading into free agency, the Pistons traded for Ersan Ilyasova. Coach and president Stan Van Gundy isn't messing around. He wants to compete now.

Turning the Pistons' No. 8 pick into Gay and Collison instantly inserts them into the Eastern Conference playoff conversation. Collison is a solid backup to place behind Reggie Jackson (restricted free agent), and Gay is the small forward Detroit still needs.

Eighteen percent of Gay's career minutes have also come at the 4 spot, and he drilled a respectable 36.1 percent of his catch-and-shoot treys last season, making him an ideal frontcourt talent for Van Gundy's offense.

And, even after trading for Ilyasova, the Pistons need frontcourt talent. 

Because Greg Monroe is as good as gone.

Van Gundy said he is "not entirely optimistic" about re-signing Monroe, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). Replacing him with both Gay and Ilyasova, though, could end up being an upgrade. The financial flexibility his departure promises allows the Pistons to take on Collison and Gay, and unlike Monroe, both Gay and Ilyasova sport three-point range.

Sending Jennings' expiring pact and this year's No. 8 pick to Denver should be more than enough for the Nuggets to join this party. They also nab Stauskas, a legitimate shooting guard prospect for them to evaluate in conjunction with Gary Harris.

Rehabilitating an Achilles injury, Jennings doesn't figure into the Nuggets' big picture. But as a rebuilding squad, they can afford to eat his $8.4 million salary for one year. There's always the possibility Jennings—a streaky scorer and satisfactory playmaker—gives the Nuggets something when healthy too. 

Either way, he's a small price to pay for two potential building blocks.

Houston Rockets

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Sacramento Kings Get: F Terrence Jones, F Kostas Papanikolaou and No. 18 pick (via New Orleans)

Houston Rockets Get: PG Darren Collison and F Rudy Gay 

Adding Gay to a core that just made a Western Conference Finals appearance has Rockets general manager Daryl Morey written all over it.

After whiffing on Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony in free agency last summer, the Rockets are still trying to figure out the power forward position. Josh Smith shot 38 percent from deep during the playoffs, turned in a few "Oh my God!" performances and could be the permanent solution. But his iffy outside accuracy—28.5 percent from three for his career—is nothing if not cause for skepticism.

None of the Rockets' in-house options, including Smith, are surefire answers, for that matter. As the Dream Shake's Ethan Rothstein previously underscored: 

"

We know we'll have Dwight [Howard] next year, but after that, everything becomes a lot more murky. Josh Smith is an unrestricted free agent, but was more good than bad in his time in Houston. He's still owed more than $20 million by Detroit over the next three years, and his free agency will be among the more fascinating to watch in the league. By all accounts, he loves Houston and playing for Kevin McHale, and could accept a pay cut to return.

Under contract still are Clint Capela, Donatas Motiejunas and Terrence Jones. The Rockets simply don't need five rotation-quality big men, considering their need for more talent and skill elsewhere on the floor. Most Rockets fans would gladly the front office rid themselves of Jones, who disappointed again in the postseason. But other teams' GMs also watch the playoffs, and Morey might not get a deal he likes.

"

Trotting out Gay at power forward would be a boon for the Rockets' starting five. He posted a 19.5 PER as a 4 last season, according to 82games.com, which dwarfs the 13.7 Houston's platoon collectively registered.

Owed $40 million over the next three seasons, Gay doesn't break the bank. The Rockets would still have enough spending power to go out and do something crazy next summer, and Collison's inclusion mitigates the need for them to invest significant cash in the point guard market now.

Indeed, the Kings aren't getting anyone of towering value here, but they're basically netting two first-rounders in Jones and that No. 18 pick. And two first-rounders aren't chump change.

Remember, the Kings acquired Gay from the Toronto Raptors for a smattering of role players and also-rans in 2013. Flipping him for a couple of first-round prospects and additional cap plasticity isn't a bad return by any means.

Phoenix Suns

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Sacramento Kings Get: PG Eric Bledsoe and No. 13 pick

Phoenix Suns Get: F Rudy Gay and No. 6 Pick

Apparently, the Suns want no trace of their three-headed point guard monster from last season on the 2015-16 roster. According to Sporting News' Sean Deveney, they're actively shopping Bledsoe, whom they signed to a five-year, $70 million contract last summer.

Dangling him in front of the New York Knicks in exchange for the No. 4 pick in this year's prospect pageant is among the overtures Phoenix has made, per Deveney. This deal is of a similar ilk.

Bledsoe (6'1", 190 lbs) is like a stronger, taller, more explosive version of Lawson, and he's used to steering fast-paced offenses.

This is to say Karl will love him.

The Kings ranked fifth in possessions used per 48 minutes through Karl's 30-game stint last season and are trying to implement a more heart-thumping offensive culture. Bledsoe's playing style fits that description like a glove; he is the primary playmaker for the NBA's third-fastest team.

Shipping out Bledsoe, meanwhile, doesn't necessarily force the Suns to take a step back. Not in this scenario. They're a top-10 Western Conference team as currently constructed, and that doesn't change here.

Having Brandon Knight helps. The Suns can re-sign him and still have a starting-caliber point guard at the helm. But Gay is equally valuable. 

Gerald Green is preparing for free agency, Danny Granger is a shell of his former self, and P.J. Tucker, T.J. Warren, Reggie Bullock and Archie Goodwin aren't proven commodities on the wing. Gay gives the Suns a high-scoring small forward who can dabble in power forward, and he's a defensive upgrade over anyone they have at either forward spot now.

Grabbing that No. 6 pick also puts the Suns in position to land another cornerstone. There's a chance that whomever they select pans out as the best player in the draft.

More importantly, if they're serious about shopping Bledsoe, they'll be hard-pressed to find a better deal. They get a serviceable and affordable perimeter weapon, and the Kings land a backcourt superstar and late-lottery prospect.

Deeming this package a "win-win" is not inappropriate. It's wholly accurate.

Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com unless otherwise cited. Salary information via Basketball Insiders. Draft-pick commitments from RealGM.

Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @danfavale.